Lighthouses seem to defy the odds, especially the old historic ones. It amazes me how they were built in the often rough remote locations, with the equipment of the day. And, of course, they did beat the odds, reducing the number of ship wrecks and groundings.

This is the Iron Pot Lighthouse at the entrance of the River Derwent and shipping lane to Hobart.

It is the first lighthouse built in Tasmania, in 1833. This square lighthouse made of rubble was built within an earlier timber frame where the light apparatus was raised and lowered by hand.

It is the second oldest lighthouse ever built in Australia. The first built at Sydney Heads in 1818.

Iron Pot was the first to use locally manufactured optical apparatus and is believed to be the first Australia lighthouse to convert to solar power.

There is debate about the origin of it’s name, one story relates that since the early days of European settlement, whaler’s pots were left on the small island where the lighthouse is located.

It has been a public holiday today in the south of Tasmania, so we visited the Australian Wooden Boat Festival again for its final day.

The festival has been a great success, celebrating local food and drinks, local wood crafts as well as the boats. There has been entertainment each day, a variety of musicians dotted around the waterfront and on Parliament House lawns. Also this delightful little Dutch music boat, with a mini organ and trumpet.

Kids have been building their own wooden boats during the four day festival. Today was the moment of truth as the boats were put in the water for the “Quick n Dirty” Challenge. Two laps of a small course, the first with sails, the second with just oars, attracted a large crowd. The boats were original and artistic, the last boat to sink was the winner!

Hobart is hosting the bi-annual Australian Wooden Boats Festival this weekend.

There was a spectacular show on the River Derwent this afternoon as the Tall Ships arrived and were escorted into the city waterfront by a couple of hundred smaller crafts.

I’m so glad that I took the afternoon off work to join the spectators before enjoying the view from our balcony.

I then went to see the ships up close on the waterfront.

Some of these ships spent ten days sailing from Sydney or Melbourne. It’s hard to imagine the months that the first Europeans spent at sea, as they journeyed to the far side of the world. This year celebrates 375 years since Abel Tasman visited this island that now bears his name.